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2025 U.S. Industry Statistics & Market Forecast - Short Line Railroads
Market Size & Industry Statistics
The total U.S. industry market size for Short Line Railroads:
Industry statistics cover all companies in the United States, both public and private, ranging in size from small businesses to market leaders.
In addition to revenue, the industry market analysis shows information on employees, companies, and average firm size.
Investors, banks, and business executives use growth rates and industry trends to understand the market outlook and opportunity.
| Statistics | 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Market Size (Total Sales/Revenue) |
Order at top of page | |
| Total Firms | ||
| Total Employees | ||
| Average Revenue Per Firm | ||
| Average Employees Per Firm | ||
| Average Revenue Per Employee | ||
Market Forecast
Market forecasts show the long term industry outlook and future growth trends. The following extended five-year forecast projects both short-term and long-term trends.
| Forecast / Industry Outlook | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Forecast ($ millions) | |||||
| Projected Industry Growth Rate (%) | |||||
Industry Insights
Major trends affect the Short Line Railroads industry include:- Increasing regulatory demands
- Shift towards sustainable and green transportation
- Expansion in intermodal logistics
- Infrastructure aging and need for modernization
- Advancements in digital technology and IoT
- Growing competition from trucking and other transportation modes
- Challenges in maintaining workforce and expertise
- Economic fluctuations impacting freight volumes
- Enhanced focus on safety and security measures
- Adoption of precision scheduled railroading
- Pressure to improve operational efficiencies
- Need for capital investment and funding
- Expansion into new markets and services
U.S. Geographic Distribution: Revenue Statistics by State
Market Size by State ($ millions) indicates how the industry's competition is distributed throughout the country. State-level information can identify areas with higher and lower industry market share than average.
Income Statement (Average Financial Metrics)
Financial metrics provide a snapshot view of a benchmark "average" company. Key business metrics show revenue and operating costs. The data collected covers both public and private companies.| Industry Average | Percent of Sales (Industry Benchmark) |
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|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | Order at top of page |
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| Operating Revenue | ||
| Cost of Goods Sold | ||
| Gross Profit | ||
Operating Expenses | ||
| Pension, profit sharing plans, stock, annuity | ||
| Repairs | ||
| Rent paid on business property | ||
| Charitable Contributions | ||
| Depletion | ||
| Domestic production activities deduction | ||
| Advertising | ||
| Compensation of officers | ||
| Salaries and wages | ||
| Employee benefit programs | ||
| Taxes and Licenses | ||
| Bad Debts | ||
| Depreciation | ||
| Amortization | ||
| Other Operating Expenses | ||
| Total Operating Expenses | ||
| Operating Income | ||
| Non-Operating Income | ||
| EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) | ||
| Interest Expense | ||
| Earnings Before Taxes | ||
| Income Tax | ||
| Net Profit Net Income | ||
Financial Ratio Analysis
Financial ratio information can be used to benchmark how a Short Line Railroads company compares to its peers. Accounting statistics are calculated from the industry-average for income statements and balance sheets.| Profitability & Valuation Ratios | Industry Average |
|---|---|
| Company valuation can be measured based on the firm's own performance, as well as in comparison against its industry competitors. These metrics show how the average company in the Short Line Railroads industry is performing. | |
| Profit Margin Gross Profit Margin, Operating Profit Margin, and Net Profit Margin. Show company earnings relative to revenues. |
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| Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity (ROE) is net income as a percentage of shareholders' equity. Shareholders' Equity is defined as the company's total assets minus total liabilities. ROE shows how much profits a company generates with the money shareholders invested (or with retained earnings). |
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| Return on Assets (ROA) Return on Assets (ROA) is net income relative to total assets. The market research on Short Line Railroads measures how efficiently the company leverages its assets to generate profit. ROA is calculated as Net Income divided by Total Assets. |
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| Liquidity Ratios | Industry Average |
|---|---|
| Bankers and suppliers use liquidity to determine creditworthiness and identify potential threats to a company's financial viability. | |
| Current Ratio Measures a firm's ability to pay its debts over the next 12 months. |
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| Quick Ratio (Acid Test) Calculates liquid assets relative to liabilities, excluding inventories. |
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| Efficiency Ratios - Key Performance Indicators | Industry Average |
|---|---|
| Measure how quickly products and services sell, and effectively collections policies are implemented. | |
| Receivables Turnover Ratio If this number is low in your business when compared to the industry average in the research report, it may mean your payment terms are too lenient or that you are not doing a good enough job on collections. |
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| Average Collection Period Based on the Receivables Turnover, this estimates the collection period in days. Calculated as 365 divided by the Receivables Turnover |
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| Inventory Turnover A low turnover rate may point to overstocking, obsolescence, or deficiencies in the product line or marketing effort. |
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| Fixed-Asset Turnover Generally, higher is better, since it indicates the business has less money tied up in fixed assets for each dollar of sales revenue. |
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Compensation & Salary Surveys for Employees
Compensation statistics provides an accurate assessment of industry-specific jobs and national salary averages. This information can be used to identify which positions are most common, and high, low, and average annual wages.| Title | Percent of Workforce | Bottom Quartile | Average (Median) Salary | Upper Quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Occupations | 5% | Order at top of page |
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| Chief Executives | 0% | |||
| General and Operations Managers | 2% | |||
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 11% | |||
| Other Construction and Related Workers | 7% | |||
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 6% | |||
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 6% | |||
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 14% | |||
| Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 6% | |||
| Heavy Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Service Technicians and Mechanics | 6% | |||
| Rail Car Repairers | 5% | |||
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 53% | |||
| Rail Transportation Workers | 45% | |||
| Locomotive Engineers and Operators | 19% | |||
| Locomotive Engineers | 19% | |||
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 6% | |||
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 6% | |||
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 19% | |||
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 19% | |||
Short Line Railroads Competitor Landscape & Key Companies [PREMIUM]
The most influential companies in the Short Line Railroads industry and adjacent industries either have large market share or are developing new business models and methods that could disrupt the status quo. We look at leading and emerging companies in the Short Line Railroads industry and adjacent sectors:| Market Leaders: Direct Competitors Companies with the largest market share, focused in this industry |
Market leaders: Diversified Competitors Largest companies that have diversified operations in this and other industries |
| Innovators: Direct Competitors Innovative, Emerging, and Disruptive Companies that may influence the future direction of the industry. |
Innovators: Diversified Competitors Innovators and Disruptors in adjacent industries that may also affect the Short Line Railroads industry. |
Source:
Latest Industry News
- ‘The End of the Line’ marks a final railroad lecture - Our first lecture was ‘A Tale of Two Ski Towns,’ which was about Ketchum, Idaho, and Park City, in which the towns were served by the Union Pacific,” Nicholas said. “In February this past year, we did a lecture called ‘The Last Passenger Train to Park City, (07/08/2025)
- Interview: Rail Fair to celebrate area’s railroad heritage - Rail Fair hosts vendors from six states offering more than 250 tables of railroad related merchandise. The La Crosse Short Line Railroad Heritage Museum will be open for guided tours. The big steam locomotive whistle can be blown for a small donation. Admission to the fair is $8. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. (07/07/2025)
- Short line derailment is third in Mississippi in three days (corrected) - Twenty-seven cars of a Grenada Railroad train derailed Sunday (July 6, 2025) in Sardis, Miss., the third significant derailment in the state in three two days. The Oxford Eagle reports the incident occurred Sunday evening and involved cars carrying corn and sulfuric acid, (07/07/2025)
- BLET ratifies new contract with Mobile, Ala., port railroad - Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new contract with Terminal Railway-Alabama State Docks, the short line connecting the Port of Mobile to five Class I railroads. (07/06/2025)
- Five Killed in Gary, Indiana Train Collision After SUV Ignores Railroad Gates - Five people died in Gary, Indiana, when their SUV circumvented train crossing gates and was hit by a South Shore Line train. The victims were all from Gary. (06/27/2025)
- Sheboygan County's first railroad opened in 1860 and only made it as far as Glenbeulah - Like many communities in the 19th century, when a rail line opened in an area, it was one more step out of the wilderness. (06/26/2025)
- Sheboygan County's first railroad broke ground with parade in 1856 - Sheboygan County's first railroad opened in 1860 and only made it as far as Glenbeulah In 1880, Chicago and North Western Railroad bought the rail line that ran west from Sheboygan and Fond du Lac ... (06/25/2025)
- Watco Signs Agreement to Acquire GLC (UPDATED 6/24) - Pittsburg, Kans.-based Watco Railroad Company Holdings, Inc. (Watco) on March 6 reported plans to add Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC) to its short line portfolio pending approval by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). It has been an equity investor in the GLC since 2013 and now seeks ownership. The STB on May 30 instituted a proceeding. (06/24/2025)
- Senate hearing will feature private high-speed rail chief - A Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on modernizing railroads. A Brightline train is shown at a station in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Jan. 11, 2018. Wilfredo Lee/AP (06/16/2025)
- ASLRRA Jake Awards honor railroads with top safety records - Nearly 400 railroads earned Jake Safety Awards from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association – including 357 that had zero reportable injuries in 2024. To achieve a Jake Award, an ASLRRA member railroad must perform better than the average Federal Railroad Administration reportable injury frequency rate per 200, (05/27/2025)
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